Yoga Citta Vritti Nirodhah – Yoga, Thank You For Stealing My Mind

I’ve been living abroad for almost nine years, first in Shanghai, for about five years, then St. Louis for almost 2 years and Singapore another 2. The first five years abroad was exciting, it was the first time I moved to another country, I soaked up the cultural nuances of China and completely submersed myself in Asia, even studying Mandarin. How I loved waking up everyday to a new adventure in this foreign land, it was just all so exotic. I travelled home to Canada about four times a year and thought that was more than enough to maintain my friendships and familial relationships. After my five years of exploration and travel, it was time to move back to North America. My husband and I moved to St Louis, it was only a one hour flight to Toronto and I was on the same time zone as friends and family. I spoke to my mother everyday, flew out to see friends and family and they would reciprocate by visiting me in St Louis. Even though I was not in the same city, I saw enough of my friends and family to not miss them. Then one day my husband sat me down and asked if I would be ready for another Asian adventure, I was thrilled, another few years of exploration… Absolutely… My friends and family we’re sad that they would not be seeing me as much, but understood my need to go on another adventure.

Singapore… How exciting!!!… And then reality began to sink in… Why is Singapore so hot??? Why are there no direct flights to Canada?… 24 hours to travel back home!!! To my husband… “You’re traveling overseas again, I’ll miss you”? I begun to feel alone and homesick, so for awhile, I traveled with my husband, but grew very tried of the schedule and just wanted to be home, but then, where was my home??? I just can’t travel back to Toronto 4 times a year… Im just so tired and am longing to return to North America to be with my friends and family… I wondered why I didn’t feel as excited about Singapore, it definitely wasn’t the country, it was me, it was my age, Ive changed… I wanted to feel more rooted… I was missing something in my life and it wasn’t just family… My thoughts were all over the place… I needed to engage my mind, body and soul into something… but what? Nothing could replace the need for family, but as I took my study of yoga further, it begun to ease my mind and my heart. Now, Im not saying Yoga is a replacement for my family, but it allows me to accept my current situation and live life to its fullest. Learning more about the yoga philosophies and understanding that home is within myself, has given me contentment. I believe that yoga has taught me the meaning of Niyama… I am learning to live with myself and grow with each life experience. Yoga, thank you for stealing my mind… Yoga Citta Vritti Nordhah!!!

Crystal Keith-Apter

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